This article is from page 4 of the 2014-07-01 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 4 JPG
ILLEGAL hunters, using high powered rifles capable of firing bullets for more than a quarter of a mile, could pose a serious risk to public health.
Gardaí in East Clare are investigating an incident in which a horse was shot dead on private property near Whitegate earlier this month.
The animal, an Irish Draft Yearling, was shot at night with a high pow- ered gun, with the bullet travelling so fast that it passed clean through the animal. The owners believe that their horse was shot accidentally by hunters at night, who were in the area shooting deer.
With deer shooting season over until the autumn, local landowner Geraldine Jones believes her animal was killed by ‘lampers’ or hunter operating at night using flashlight.
“There has been incidents here before of cattle being shot. There are houses in the area but there is also deer, and when there is deer there are hunters. We’re out of pocket [because of the shooting] but that isn’t the point really, we have more horses down there and we don’t want to go down there and find them shot – or worse still, see someone walking on the road get shot, she told The Clare People .
“These weapons are very powerful and some people just seem to shoot and not worry about where [the bullet] is going to end up. I’m not antihunting or anything like that, but they [high powered rifles] should not be in the hands of careless people.
“The animal was shot on the [Sunday, June 15] evening or later that night – we can’t pinpoint the exact time. He was our animal but to others he was only a horse. We don’t think that it suffered.
“There was no marks on the ground where the animal might have scratched if it was in pain, but it looks like it was dead before it hit the ground.
“It is distressing. I go down there now and if I see one of them [the horses] lying down I automatically think that they are dead.
“The worst we thought would happen was the horses getting frightened and maybe breaking out onto the road. We never expected to find one with a bullet in it.”
Clare dog warden Frankie Coote says that the rifles used by some of these hunters are very powerful.
“It has happened but not at this time of year. These are people who are lamping and shooting deer out of season.
“A bullet shot from one of those rifles could travel up to a quarter of a mile and kill whatever it meets.
“They are so powerful that the bullet will keep travelling until it hits a target. We have had similar cases in this area in the past and it is a real problem,” he said.
Margaret (Olive) CULLINAN (née
Tuohy) , 77Turnpike Road, Ennis. Funeral Mass Tuesday, July 1, at 11amat Ennis Cathedral, followed by private cremation. Family flowers only, donations if desired to Milford Hospice, Limerick. May she rest in peace.
Kevin MALONE
, 3 Aiden Park, Shannon. Late of Burnham, Dingle Co Kerry. Funeral Mass onTuesday at 12 noon at St John and Paul’s Church, Shannon. Burial afterwards in Lemenagh Cemetery. May he rest in peace.
John (Jack) MCINERNEY
, Scart, Kilkishen. Laid to rest in Clonlea Cemetery. May he rest in peace.
Aine FITZGERALD (née Fennell)
, Renton, Washington, USA, and formerly of Henry Street, Kilrush. Laid to rest in All Saints Cemetery, Shanakyle. May she rest in peace.
Robert GODZISZ
, 15 Ard Caoin Gort Road, Ennis. Laid to rest in Cork. May he rest in peace.
Denis JONES
, Clonloum, O’Callaghans Mills. Peacefully at the Mid-Western Regional Hospital. Laid to rest in Clonlea cemetery. May he rest in peace.
John (Johnny) MALONE
, Clareview, Ballybeg, Ennis. Peacefully at the Galway Clinic. Laid to rest in Clareabbey. Donations, if desired, to Slainte an Clair. May he rest in peace.
Derek (Dobber) O’BRIEN
, Rivendell, Pass Road, Meelick. Peacefully at his residence. Laid to rest in Ballycannon Cemetery, Meelick. Donations, if desired to the Oncology Department, of Limerick University Hospital. May he rest in peace.
Patrick (Pa) O’SHAUGHNESSY
, Knockdonagh, Kilmore. Laid to rest inTruagh Cemetery. May he rest in peace.
Patrick BUCKLEY
, 126Tradaree Court, Shannon. Laid to rest in Illaunamanagh Cemetery. May he rest in peace.
Sister Baptiste CASEY
, Kilkenny/Ruan. Late of Rinneen, Ruan. Laid to rest in Foulkstown Cemetery, Kilkenny. May she rest in peace.
Mary DONNELLY (née Burke)
, Kilmacduane, Cooraclare. Laid to rest in Kilmacduane cemetry. Donations if desired to Milford Hospice. May she rest in peace.